Phil Hogan Named Commissioner for Agriculture

The NFU has said it looks forward to working with
a strong champion for productive agriculture after the announcement by
President Juncker naming Phil Hogan as Commissioner-designate for Agriculture
and Rural Development.

NFU President Meurig
Raymond said the NFU would continue to work
with MEPs and the new Commissioner to ensure they are fully aware
of the priorities of UK farmers over the next five years.

Phil Hogan

“We expect Mr Hogan will be a strong champion of productive, sustainable
agriculture and I look forward to working with him to ensure our
farmers are at the centre of a globally competitive industry,” said
Mr Raymond. “There are many challenges ahead not least the immediate
management of the Russian trade ban and how that impacts on farming
across the board.

“In terms of priorities, the last reform of the Common
Agriculture Policy, which I firmly believe has been a step in the wrong direction,
must be top of the new Commissioner’s agenda. What’s needed now is
time to critically evaluate its outcomes, in particular to look at
an early review of the current greening
measures. I am therefore
delighted to hear that President Juncker has asked Mr Hogan to review
“the potential for further simplification in the areas of direct
payments and in particular as regards greening.”

“Currently, there is also an unprecedented number of trade deals,
notably the ongoing EU-US trade discussions and we need to ensure
any trade deal ensures the efforts of British farmers are not undermined
by imports produced to lower standards.”

“One of the most pressing questions remains the EU’s approach to
science. I remain convinced that sound science should be used as
the cornerstone of European policy-making and I will be making this
point with Mr Hogan at the earliest opportunity.”